


Shrike

by Kimmimaru



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Gen, Halloween Special!, Horror, Monsters, not scientifically accurate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-08-06 09:56:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16385777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimmimaru/pseuds/Kimmimaru
Summary: Hurt Noct Week Day 2: In a dungeon, Noctis is snatched by the big boss monster/deamon and the guys have to save him.A hunt gone wrong. Noctis is snatched from under the others' noses while traversing a dangerous cave system. His friends must race to find him before the monster decides it's dinner time.





	Shrike

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, this monster is one I made up on the spot. A lot of suspension of disbelief will be needed here, there is no possible way to live with the kinds of wounds described in this fic but it's fiction so you know just go with it.
> 
> This is to honour this special time of month and my fave time of year! Halloween is the best and I can't wait! I hope you all enjoy this morbid, horror-y fic. Oh and for future reference, a Shrike is a type of bird that impales it's food to make it easier to eat and to save for later. I find them really interesting. Also, I apologise for any mistakes, I have a chest infection and my focus is shot. I hope you like it anyway.

It's dark in the winding tunnels. The only light comes from the lamps on their chests, four unsteady beams jerking and jumping with every hesitant step. It was a labyrinth. Tunnels seemingly going on forever, endless darkness with a backing track of drips and weird echoes. Occasionally Gladio scuffs his boot on the stony floor, Ignis will clear his throat and Prompto sucks in a damp, chill breath. Noctis tries not to flinch at every sound but it's hard when he's so hyper-focussed that every sound is ten times as loud as normal. The air is cold and cloying, it freezes Noctis' already sweat-damp skin. Occasionally he has to shake out his hands, afraid that he'll lose the feeling in them when it comes time to fight.   
  
Someone kicks a stone, it skitters off into the darkness and Prompto suppresses a sudden squeak of surprise by clamping both hands over his mouth.   
  
“Shh,” Ignis warns quietly, stepping around Prompto's frozen form with a gentle pat on the shoulder.  
  
Prompto manages a jerky nod and forces his legs into action, following Noctis' bobbing light.   
  
Tension sits between Noctis' shoulders, his eyes ache from the strain, his jaw tense from where he's gritting his teeth. He doesn't like these damp, slimy-walled caves but they had taken on the hunt and are now obligated.   
  
_“How many we talkin' here, Dave?”_

 

Noctis remembers Gladio asking, watching him fold his massive arms across his chest.  
  
 _“Counts not so high, but s'far as we know we gone an' lost five of our people down those cursed tunnels.”_  
  
Five. Five hunters. All of them mysteriously disappeared after entering this complicated system of caves. They had been reluctant at first until they had finally run out of money and become desperate. Noctis takes a soft breath and moves further ahead, not far enough to be out of sight but far enough away that he gives himself some space. He walks forward, one hand trailing against the slimy walls. His foot lands in a puddle with a soft splash, he hears Prompto gasp and begins to turn but before he can open his mouth to speak claws dig into his flesh. The breath is torn from his lungs as he's lifted into the air. He hears Ignis cry out his name before he's dragged upwards through a hole in the tunnel roof. His head smashes against the lip of the hole and darkness fills his mind.  
  
“NOCT!” Ignis' voice echoes through the caves like a siren, Gladio reaches out and grabs his upper arm in a firm grip before he can go plunging head-long into total darkness.  
  
“Iggy, wait!” Gladio snaps, yanking Ignis back, “You can't just go running off like that, we can't get separated!”  
  


“But-”  
  
“No. We do this together. We'll find him and get him back.” Gladio assures him, releasing him when he's certain Ignis isn't going to do something stupid.  
  
Ignis runs his fingers through his hair, eyes wide with barely concealed panic, Prompto has his gun in his hands but pointing at the floor. Shock is plastered on all their faces.   
  
“What...what the hell was that?” Prompto manages, his voice barely audible above the gentle plink of water.  
  
“No idea but we gotta work together. Let's keep going.” Gladio motions them all forward and together they set off again.  
  
Soon the only sounds are their footsteps splashing through puddles and their heavy breaths.  
  
Noctis opens his eyes to find himself gazing up into a pair of dark yellow ones. His body aches. There's pain radiating from the side of his head but he dares not move as those yellow eyes pin him in place. A clawed hand with four fingers holds him down, trapping him like a bony cage. His breath rasps in his lungs as he stares into the eyes of the monster and tries to force his sluggish mind to cooperate. He has to move, he has to get out. The creature shifts, claws curling around Noctis' body and lifts him into the air. Noctis' light hits the opposite wall to reveal a morbid, terrifying scene. The walls are covered in large, stone spikes. Water drips down the walls, running to fill a small lake on the ground. On the spikes are a myriad of fleshless skeletons, hung like dolls in some sick collection. Their rib cages are ripped open, some still have rotting flesh dangling from their remains. Empty eye sockets catch the light, giving the eerie impression that the skulls are watching. Noctis shudders, his head pounding and blood falling down his cheek. The monster lifts him and he feels something hard and sharp press against his spine.   
  
The monster's face is bony, twisted into a deformed snarl. It's skin is pressed tight to it's skull. It's lipless mouth drawn into a terrifying rictus to reveal razor sharp teeth. It's breath ghosts over Noctis' face, reeking of rot and damp. Noctis gags. Somehow he lifts a hand, the flash of light that follows causes the creature to snarl and jerk Noctis against the spike at his back. Noctis' sword falls from limp fingers. He fumbles but the sword falls to the floor with a clatter. Agony rips through his back, a scream wrenched from his lungs like a reluctant fish from water. It fills the cavern, echoing back on itself until Noctis chokes on blood.  
  
Gladio freezes when he hears Noctis' scream. A terrible, gurgling cry that causes his arms to erupt into goosebumps. He feels Prompto shudder at his side, hears Ignis' sharp intake of breath. “C'mon, this way.” He whispers, beckoning them down the left passage way. They follow, Prompto's unsteady breathing keeping them company as they move. They can't run, it's not worth risking a twisted ankle, the floor is slippery and dangerous but the urge to move faster burns inside their chests like acid. Their slow pace is frustrating but as Ignis reminded them, they'd be no help to Noctis if they got themselves injured.   
  
It's hard going as the tunnel they're in grows smaller until Gladio is forced to walk at a weird kind of stoop. Ignis is hunched uncomfortably forward and even Prompto has to duck his head low to dodge the low hanging rocks. The water is ankle deep now, pouring over the tops of their boots but they keep moving. Wet socks are the least of their concerns as a terrible silence grows and their laboured breaths are the only sounds.  
  
Finally the tunnel opens out into a large cavern, blow them is a pool shimmering in the light from their torches. Gladio straightens out with a grunt and a crack of his spine, Ignis sighs in relief as he too steps out into the larger area. Prompto follows, eyes darting everywhere until he spots something, “What's that?” He hisses, moving closer to Ignis' side.  
  
“...Light?” Gladio wonders hesitantly.  
  
“Yes. There's light up ahead.” Ignis jerks forward, “It's Noct.”   
  
Together they break into a jog, splashing noisily through the pool until they draw closer. Prompto stumbles and freezes. His breath stalling as his heart slams against his ribs.   
  
“Prompto?” Ignis turns to see the man staring at the wall, eyes wide in his too-white face. Slowly he turns and the sight sickens him.  
  
“Six,” Gladio curses roughly, lifting his hand to cover his mouth.  
  
There are corpses. Human and animal, all pinned to the wall like museum exhibits. Half rotted, rank and stinking. Flesh dripping from exposed bones, skulls revealing teeth yellowed with age.   
  
“Let's...let's keep moving.” Gladio manages, holding his breath as the smell reaches him. He hears Prompto retch behind him, the splash of vomit hitting the water. He closes his eyes against a wave of nausea before steadying himself. “C'mon, we gotta find Noct.”  
  


Ignis steps forward, the first to continue their trek towards the light. He stops when he hears a low growl and the sound of choking, laboured breaths. A flash of intense, blue crystalline light that flickers and fades before they hear an agonised scream. Prompto squints, wiping his mouth on his wrist as he sees a hulking shadow shifting just out of sight of the light. His gun feels like a lead weight in his hand but he's steady as he lifts it. He takes a breath, ignoring the way his stomach turns at the smell. Noct's light thrashes, jerking violently but the creature with him still manages to move just out of it's range. He hears a wet cough, something hitting the water and then a groan. Prompto's ears begin to ring, he tastes metal on his tongue and takes aim. The trigger is warm against his finger. The mass moves, revealing itself for a split second...but that's all he needs.  
  
The explosion echoes off the caverns walls, forcing Ignis and Gladio to clap their hands to their ears. The gun shot is followed by a scream of pain and rage, a sound so inhuman it sends their teeth clenching. Yellow eyes glow in the darkness, fixed on them with undisguised rage. The monster advances, Prompto fires two more rounds before Ignis and Gladio pull out their own weapons.   
  
Ignis ducks and rolls beneath the swipe of long, clawed fingers. The second he's back on his feet he lifts his dagger, plunging it down into an exposed thigh. The creature screams, black blood trickling down its side. Ignis backs off, drawing out his pole arm and thrusting it forward. Gladio rolls his shoulders and lifts his sword with a gruff bellow. He swings it at the creatures thin neck but it pulls aside with a hiss, trying to fight them both off at the same time. Blood splashes the walls, hissing where it hits stone.  
  
There's a crackle and then a flash as a low-level lightning spell illuminates the cavern. The creature screams, head thrown back long enough for a dagger to pierce it's exposed throat. The wail turns into a wet gurgle, the creature stumbles side ways and fall into the water. It twitches once, twice and then goes still.  
  
Prompto splashes up to them, pale and trembling but he stares at the creature with wide eyes. Gladio grabs him by the shoulder, shaking him out of his panicked daze, “Now's not the time. We need to get Noct.”  
  
Prompto swallows, tasting puke and winces, “Y-yeah..”  
  
“You did good.”  
  
“Indeed, you exhibited some impressively quick thinking.” Ignis agreed, smiling weakly before he turned to look up. His light hits the wall and exposes the gory picture in all it's horrific glory. Prompto chokes on air and Gladio hisses through his teeth.  
  
“Noct.” Ignis gasps, moving forward and reaching out to his friend. Noctis is pinned to the wall by a stone spike, it sticks through his abdomen like a bloodied knife point. His face is white, smeared in blood. His head lolls on his neck and his eyes are closed. Blood sheets the wall behind him, a steady but constant fall of water washing it into the pool at his feet. Ignis shakes as he reaches for his prince's face, cupping it and gently turning it into the light. Dried blood coats the side of his face, a nasty scrape marring the skin of his temple.   
  
“H-how are supposed to get him down?” Prompto asks, panting and shaking in terror.  
  
“We have to move him. We have to pull him off and get a potion into him as soon as he's down.” Ignis mutters, his voice weak. He turns to Gladio, “Help me.”   
  
Gladio steps forward, frowning and keeping his eyes averted from the hole in Noct's stomach. Ignis grabs Noctis and together they slowly begin to pull him off of the wall. He comes with a sickening squelch, more blood pouring over their hands as they work. Gladio's sweating by the time they're done and laying Noctis gently down on the floor. Ignis pulls out a potion, hands shaking as he breaks it over the prince's wound. There's a hole straight through him. They can see his organs pulsing, torn to shreds by the spear of rock. His chest barely moves. His skin pale and clammy. Ignis curses and tries again. He's unaware of the tears falling down his cheeks to splash onto Noctis' chest.  
  
Prompto crouches by their side, teeth digging deep into the side of his hand as he tries to hold himself together. Gladio's frozen to the spot, eyes lingering on the wound and hoping, hoping...  
  
Noctis takes a breath. And then another. Ignis' breath leaves him in a violent rush. He shudders and watches as the wound closes, magic forcing the body to regenerate itself. Noctis' breathing is wet, blood trickling from between his lips but his eyelids flutter, his brows draw down into a frown as he coughs. Ignis rolls him onto his side and lets him heave up several bloody clots before his breath eases. Noctis' eyes open, a weak little smile on his lips, “Hey,”

 

 


End file.
